Opponents Protest New Development Near Hafer Park

Saturday, April 1st 2017, 9:07 PM CDT

By Grant Hermes

EDMOND, Oklahoma - At the busy Edmond intersection of 15th and Bryant Avenue, the honking on Saturday wasn't about bad driving. Instead, it was for what some are calling a bad idea for their community.

That idea is 260,000 square feet of retail and a four story apartment building sitting just behind the city's Hafer Park.

“This is going to be a four-story development which is out of the character with the community,” Lydia Lee said while holding a bright green sign with the words “NO, NO” emblazoned on the front.

Lee was one of the dozen residents who stood out on the corner, urging others to vote against the development this Tuesday. The project has been in the works for months but a petition signed by more than 1,600 in Edmond is forcing the vote.

“When you're in Hafer Park, which has long been considered the crown jewel of Edmond, and you look across the duck pond, you're going to see four-story apartments towering,” lamented Lee.

But not everyone agreed and some made that very clear. For instance, a man in a baseball cap behind the wheel of a pickup shouted, “Move to California, you f****** treehuggers!” as he drove past picketers.

The City of Edmond estimates nearly $150 million will be invested into the area, hoping to make the City of Edmond a retail destination. While opponents like Lee said they understand the need, they just want that need to be filled someplace else.

“We don't necessarily need a destination in this part of town. There are other places where this shopping center could be put,” Lee said.

The Tennessee-based developer, Poag LLC., did not return a request for a comment.

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